Safety heater for product dispensed from aerosol container

ABSTRACT

A SAFETY HEATER ASSEMBLY FOR WARMING SHAVING CREAM BEING DISPENSED UNDER PRESSURE FROM AN AEROSOL TYPE CONTAINER COMPRISING A HEAD ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE DEPRESSIBLE HOLLOW DISCHARGE VALVE STEM OF THE CONTAINER AND HAVING AN INTERNAL THROUGH PASSAGE SURROUNDED BY AN ELECTRICAL HEATER COIL, AND A CONTACT MAKING AND BREAKING PLUG COMPONENT MOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE HEAD ADAPTED TO CLOSE THE CIRCUIT TO THE COIL WHEN CONNECTED TO AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET AND TO AUTO-   MATICALLY OPEN THAT CIRCUIT WHEN THE HEAD PASSAGE WALLS ARE SUFFICIENTLY HEATED TO WARM THE SHAVING CREAM BEING DISPENSED.

United States Patent [72] inventor Alan Dlllarstonc 3,308,993 3/1967 Bruno 222/146 Highland Park, NJ. 3,476,293 11/1969 Marcoux 222/146 [211 App]. No. 685,550 3,116,403 12/1963 Caner 219/214 [22] Filed Nov. 24,1967 3,446,402 5/1969 Gasser et al. 222/146 1 1 Patented J 15, 27! FOREIGN PATENTS [731 Assign" f CmnPanYv 476,434 12/1937 Great Britain 219/328 New 614,856 12/1948 Great Britain 219/331 I m 679,476 9/1952 Great Britain 337/381 I [54] SAFETY HEATER FOR PRODUCT DISPENSED Primary EmmiflefA- B31115 FROM AEROSOL CONTAINER Attorney-Strauch, Nolan, Neale, Nies and Kurz 6 Chlms,4 Drawing Figs. [52] U.S.Cl 219/308, ABSTRACT: A Safety heater assembly f warming shaving 219/2l412l9/30l- 9/328, 2l9/541'222/l46v cream being dispensed under pressure from an aerosol type 239/135 337/381 container comprising a head adapted to be mounted on the [51] Int. CL 867d 5/62 depressible hollow discharge valvemem f the container and PM send! 219/301, having an internal through passage surrounded by an electri- 29 29 0 0 328, 33 541, 214, 32 al heater coil, and a contact making and breaking plug com- 3373813221146, 146 ("5), 146 (HA); 239/135 ponent movably mounted on the head adapted to close the cir- 56 R I Cited cuit to the coil when connected to an electrical outlet and to I l e automatically open that circuit when the head passage walls UNITED STATES PATENTS are sufficiently heated to warm the shaving cream being 3,069,528 121 1962 Gardner 219/214 dispensed.

PATENTEDJUN28|9H 3,588,469

23 49 INVENTOR A/an Oil/ars/one SAFETY HEATER FOR PRODUCT DISPENSED FROM AEROSOL CONTAINER BACKGROUND, FIELD AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION The dispensing of shaving cream for aerosol type containers is known. One practical objection from customers is that they experience shock when cold lather or cream encounters the skin. A considerable number of expedients and devices have been proposed and marketed in attempting to remedy this objectionable condition, and many of these seek to warm the shaving cream during dispensing. Hot water and electrical heaters have been proposed. A difficulty with the former is that sufficiently hot water may not be available. Many of the latter require special thermostatic units, safety fuses and like components adding to the complexity and expense. Some maintain electrical contact with a source during use, with attendant possibility ofdanger.

The present invention relates to electrical heating of shaving cream as it is dispensed from an aerosol type container, andit represents an improvement over known devices of this type mainly with respect to safety and simplicity of structure without sacrificing reliability.

According to the invention a removable attachment is provided wherein the shaving cream is dispensed through a passage heated by an electrical coil and which also includes a plug component for insertion into the usual electrical wall outlet and having means for establishing the coil circuit when plugged into the outlet and for automatically breaking that circuit when the passage has been heated.

It is a major object of the invention to provide in an attachment for an aerosol dispensing container a dispensing passage heated by an electrical resistance element, an energizing circuit for the coil established when the attachment is connected to a source of electrical energy, and an automatic circuit breaking arrangement effective when the passage has been heated, so that the aerosol container with the attachment thereon may be disconnected from the source and warmed shaving cream or the like dispensed for use in safety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded fragmentary generally perspective view illustrating the invention according to a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section showing the heater unit assembly in position on a container prior to plugging it into the electrical outlet;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section similar to FIG. 2 but showing the heater unit assembly after removal from the electrical outlet following automatic opening of the heater coil circuit; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 4-4 of FIG. 3 show ing the shaving cream path at the discharge end of the heater unit.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 shows a heater unit assembly 11 consisting essentially ofa head 12 adapted for mounting directly upon a conventional aerosol container and a combination plug and switch component 13 movably mounted on the head in assembly as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The aerosol container 14 illustrated is of the general type disclosed in Abplanalp U.S. Pat. No. 2,631,814 having a top mounted valve assembly I5 for controlling selective discharge under pressure of the contents of the container. The valve assembly comprises a stem 16 vertically reciprocable within a body 17 suitably anchored rigidly to the container as at 18. A spring 19 biases stem 16 upwardly to valve closed position where the lateral passage 21 is closed by the resilient sealing seat annulus 20. Passage 21 intersects a longitudinal stem passage 22 that extends to an open end at the upper end of the stem which projects above the container. When stem 16 is pushed sufficiently downwardly in FIG. 2, passage 21 moves below seat 20 to communicate with the interior bore 23 of body 17 and allow the pressurized contents of the container to discharge through bore 23 and passages 21 and 22. When stem 16 is released spring 19 recloses the valve to stop such discharge.

Head 12 preferably is a molded block of electrically insulating material having permanently incorporated therein a flow passage 24 and an electric heater 25 in the form of a resistance wire coil mainly surrounding an intermediate U-shaped sec tion 26 of the passage 24. 7

On the underside of head 12, passage 24 opens into an enlarged cylindrical bore 27 adapted to snugly receive the upper end of valve stem 16, so that valve stem passage 22 is axially aligned with head passage 24. The opposite end 28 of passage 24 turns at right angles to pass through a spout 29 as shown in FIG. 4. Bore 27 is preferably sufficiently deep that the entire heater assembly 11 may be wholly supported on stem 16 as shown in FIG. 2. There is sufficient clearance between the underside of head 12 and the top of the container that a downward push on head 12 will displace stem 16 to open the container valve and allow discharge of the container contents from stem passage 22 through head passage 24 to emerge at spout 29. An external handle 30 is formed on the head.

Plug component 13 is cup-shaped with a cylindrical wall telescoped over the cylindrical side projection 31 of head 12 with the internal surface 32 of the cup spaced a substantial distance from surface 33 of the projection. A sheet metal spring contact ring 34 has one edge fixed to surface 33 as by rivets 35 and extends outwardly as a flexible spring annulus toward the cup. A cooperating sheet metal spring contact ring 36 has one edge fixed to the inner cup surface 32 as by rivets 37 and extends inwardly as a flexible annular spring clip.

A compression spring 38 extends between the end 39 of projection 31 and the closed bottom 41 ofplug component 13. A center contact button 42 is fixed on the end of the head projection and connected by conductor wire 43 to a terminal 44 of heater coil 25. The other heater coil terminal 45 is connected by conductor wire 46 to contact ring 34.

Two contact blades 46 and 47 project outwardly from cup 13. Blade 46 is connected by contact wire 48 to a flexible center contact 49 within the cup, and blade 47 is connected by conductor wire 51 to contact ring 36. Blades 46 and 47 are adapted to enter terminals 52 and 53 of the usual standard electrical outlet receptacle 54. If desired a ground prong 55 may be provided on cup 13 to enter ground socket 56 in the receptacle.

Handle 30 is diametrically opposite projection 31. In use the entire heater unit assembly 11 is placed upon the valve stem, care being taken not to depress stem 16. Then the plug is aligned with receptacle 54 with the operator pushing on handle 30 to insert blades 46 and 47 and make electrical contact. This action displaces cup 13 to the left in FIG. 2 to compress spring 38, engage contact rings 34 and 36 in axial latching and contacting relation as shown, and engage contact 49 with button 42. With the parts in this position, heater coil 25 is energized and the head particularly all around passage 24 is correspondingly heated.

After a short time this heat expands ring 34 sufficiently to weaken the latching engagement of contact rings 34 and 36 and enable spring 38 to expand and automatically relatively displace cup 13 and head 12 to the positions shown in FIG. 3 where the electrical circuit to heater coil 25 is broken. Now the operator pulls the assembly away from the receptacle 54, and upon pressing down on head 12 the pressurized contents of the container 14 will pass through the heated passage 24 to emerge from spout 29 as warm shaving cream.

An internal ledge 57 at the open end of cup 13 is located in the path of ring 34 to prevent'cup 13 from being accidentally axially separated from head projection 12.

The invention thus provides a simple device for warming shave cream and the like. Electrical contact is broken when the device is being used during shaving. There are no exposed wires, safety fuses or special thermostatic controls. The entire assembly 11 may be transferred to a fresh container as soon as one is exhausted. The discharged cream does not contact the electrical connections so that cleaning is simplified. The tortuous path of passage 24 through the warmed head provides adequate heating of the shave cream.

it will be understood that the contact locations, latching structure and other relationships of parts may be changed from that illustrated without departing from the inventive concept of providing for automatic breaking of the heating circuit when the head passage is adequately heated.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing'from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the

scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

1 claim:

1. A device for warming fluent material during discharge under pressure from an aerosol or like container having a movable hollow discharge valve stem comprising a head structure provided with means by which it may be mounted on a container stem and having a through passage with itsinner end operatively aligned with the stem outlet opening, electrical resistance heating means for said passage in the head structure, a plug component movably mounted on said head structure and having contact means for operative connection to an electrical outlet for providing a source of energy to said heating means, cooperating latching means on said head structure and plug component including temperature responsive means holding the plug component in electrical circuit with said heating meansoperative when the walls of said passage become heated to automatically displace said plug component to a circuit interrupting position on said head structure, and stop means on said plug component adapted for cooperative engagement with a part of said latching means on said head structure for preventing accidental separation of said plug component and head structure after movement of the plug component to circuit interrupting position on said head structure.

2. A device for warming fluent material during discharge under pressure from an aerosol or like container having a movable hollow discharge valve stem comprising a head structure provided with means by which it may be mounted on a container stem and having a through passage with its inner end operatively alignedwith the stem outlet opening, electrical resistance heating-means for said passage in the head structure, a plug component movably mounted on said head structure and having contact means for direct operative connection to an electrical outlet for providing a source of energy to said heating means, means including temperature responsive means holding the plug component in electrical circuit with said heating means operative when the walls of said passage become heated to automatically displace said plug component to a circuit interrupting position on said head structure, and cooperating means on the head structure and plug component for preventing accidental separation of said plug component and head structure after movement of the plug component ti circuit interrupting position, said plug component being substantially cup-shaped with an open inner end extending over part of said head structure, and said cooperating means including an internal ledge at the open end of said plug component.

3. A device for warming fluent material during discharge under pressure from an aerosol or like container having a movable hollow discharge valve stem comprising a head structure mounted on said container and having a through passage with its inner end operatively aligned with the stern outlet opening, electrical resistance heating means for said passage in the head structure, a plug component movably mounted on said head structure and having means for operative connection to an electrical outlet for providing a source of energy to said heating means, and means including temperature responsive means holding the plug component in electrical circuit with said heating means operative when the walls of said passage become heated to automatically displace said plug component to a circuit interrupting position on said head structure, said last means comprising cooperating annular latching and electrical contact means on the head structure and plug component, and compressed spring means between the head and plug component biasing said plug component toward said circuit breaking position, at least one of said latching and contact means being expansible when heated to effect latch release by said spring means.

4. In the device defined in claim 3, cooperating means on the head structure and plug component for preventing accidental separation of said plug component and head structure after movement of the plug component to circuit interrupting position.

5. In the device defined in claim 3, said head structure having a laterally projecting portion within which is located a tortuous section of said passage and wherein said resistance heater means is imbedded wiring surrounding said section, said plug component being cup-shaped to extend over said projecting head portion with said latching and contact means being mounted between the inside of the plug component and the adjacent projecting head portion, said spring means being compressed between the outer end of said projecting head portion and the inside bottom of the cup-shaped plug component, and said connecting means on the plug component comprising prongs projecting from the other side of the bottom of said plug component.

6. A device for warming fluent material during discharge under pressure from an aerosol or like container having a movable hollow discharge valve stem comprising a head structure having means by which it may be mounted on a container stem and having a through passage with its inner end operatively aligned with the stem outlet opening, electrical resistance heating means for said passage in the head structure, a plug component movably mounted on said head structure and having external contact means for direct operative connection to an electrical outlet for providing a source of energy to said heating means, holding means comprising coacting latch and switch means on the head structure and said plug components for maintaining the plug component in electrical circuit with said heating means, resilient means biasing said plug component toward a displaced circuit interrupting position relative to said head structure, and temperature responsive means operative when the walls of said passage become heated to release said holding means to permit said resilient means to automatically displace said plug component to said circuit interrupting position, said plug component being hollow and having a substantially telescopic mount on said head structure, and said holding means being protectively enclosed by said plug component. 

